Four hours passed in a flash, and the preliminary round for the youth group came to an end.
The top contenders—Kaito, Minato Namikaze, Nawaki, Fugaku Uchiha, Kitsuchi, A, and others—all advanced as expected.
Subsequently, the preliminary round for the veteran group also concluded, with the Third Raikage and other powerful shinobi all advancing.
The second round, the elimination tournament, would begin in two days, giving the contestants two days to prepare.
"That's great, everyone advanced!" Nawaki exclaimed, overjoyed, with the greatsword Samehada slung over his shoulder.
"The preliminaries were just a warm-up. The real competition starts now. Everyone who made it through the prelims is strong," Fugaku reminded him.
"Yeah, I know." Nawaki nodded. "But it's no problem. I'll see you guys in the finals!"
"Okay." Minato smiled gently, glanced at Samehada on Nawaki's shoulder, and said, "Nawaki, you should probably hand that ninja sword over to the Third Hokage. It's an important treasure of the Land of Water. The Mizukage won't let you keep it."
"Oh, I don't plan on using it anyway. It's too heavy, and it's always trying to suck my chakra."
Nawaki nodded. "I'll hand it over to the Third later."
While the World's Strongest Shinobi Tournament was in full swing, the Chakra Clone and Kakuzu stood on the soil of the Land of Water.
They were clad in black cloaks, their faces completely concealed.
Thanks to the Fourth Mizukage lifting the Bloody Mist policy and reopening the country, they had been able to slip in with ease.
"You know, this is my first time in the Land of Water. It doesn't seem that different from other places," the Chakra Clone remarked softly, looking at the surrounding scenery.
"Can't you smell the salt in the air? How could an island nation be the same as the mainland?" Kakuzu glanced at him and continued walking on his own.
"Mmm, is that so?"
"Speaking of which, what mission are we here to do, exactly?"
"What else? To steal the Mist Village's most precious treasure, of course. But we'll make our move in two days. For now, let's figure out the target's location."
"Hmph. So mysterious."
The two walked side by side and soon disappeared.
The next day, at Minato's invitation, Nawaki and Fugaku came to his home as guests.
"Wow, Minato, your house is pretty spacious," Nawaki said with admiration, looking at the furnishings inside.
"It's alright. Buying this house took a good chunk of my savings," Minato said with a smile.
"It's not good for one person to live in a place that's too big. When are you going to find a girlfriend, Minato?"
"Let's talk about that kind of thing after peace arrives."
"True."
The three sat down in the living room. Minato placed a stack of scrolls on the table in front of him and said seriously, "Yesterday, I spent some time gathering intelligence on our opponents for the second round, so I invited you two over to take a look."
Fugaku nodded and also took out a stack of scrolls from his robes. "I've gathered some as well."
The two looked at each other and shared a knowing smile.
Nawaki, who had been left out, was stunned. "Why did you both think to gather intel at the same time?"
"Gathering intelligence is a basic skill for a shinobi, isn't it?"
"You should be asking yourself why you didn't."
"Er, I guess you're right."
Nawaki scratched his head, embarrassed. "I was too excited after the match yesterday. I didn't think that far ahead."
"It's fine, you can look at ours. Alright, let's get started."
Minato picked up the first scroll, unrolled it on the table, and said, "First up is our biggest competitor, the overwhelming favorite to win this time—the First Amekage, Kaito."
"He hasn't fought many times, but his record is brilliant. Several years ago, he single-handedly defeated the demigod Hanzo and the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, and suppressed the Iwagakure army. His current strength is unfathomable."
"As for his signature moves..." Minato said slowly, "He often uses Ice Style and Fire Style, both of which are extremely powerful. It's said that at full power, he can completely destroy a village. He also has an advantage in speed and was once known as the 'Golden Flash'."
"Hmph. He's certainly a handful," Fugaku shook his head. "Powerful offensive capabilities combined with lightning-fast speed makes him very difficult to counter."
"What about genjutsu?" Nawaki suddenly suggested.
"Mm, as far as I know, he has never been seen using genjutsu. It's worth a try," Minato said, looking at Fugaku. "Genjutsu is your Uchiha clan's specialty. If you run into him, you can give it a shot."
"No, I don't think genjutsu will be effective. It's most likely a trap he's deliberately set. But there's no harm in trying," Fugaku said.
"As for me, there's not much to say." Minato smiled helplessly. "No matter who the enemy is, it seems I'll have to rely on the application of the Flying Thunder God Technique and look for an opportunity to finish them off with the Rasengan."
"That combo of yours is broken enough. Anyone facing you is guaranteed to lose if they let their guard down for even a second." Fugaku looked at Nawaki and asked, "What about you? Have you thought of how to deal with Kaito?"
"Yep. I've saved a special move just for Master Kaito. He'll definitely be surprised!" Nawaki said confidently.
"Now you've made me curious," Minato smiled and unrolled another scroll.
"Second, the Third Raikage's son, A. Like his father, he has mastered the Lightning Release Armor, which integrates offense and defense. His speed is not inferior to mine. He's a guy with no obvious weaknesses. If you encounter him, you must restrict his movements and not let him control the rhythm of the fight."
"Got it."
Next, they discussed the common techniques and preferred tactics of other contestants like Kitsuchi, and each considered what strategies they would use and what they should pay attention to if they were to face them.
"There are still a few new faces. They're probably hiding something. You'll need to be extra careful if you encounter them."
"Right."
Just as they finished discussing the intelligence, they received an invitation for an audience with the Third Hokage.
The three looked at each other, then stood up. "Let's go. Let's see the Third."
Arriving at the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage looked at the three outstanding young men and said with emotion, "Seeing such excellent members of the next generation makes me feel fortunate for Konoha. The future belongs to you. Therefore, during the tournament, you must first protect your own lives. The loss of any one of you would be a heavy blow to Konoha, do you understand?"
"Yes, sir!"
"In addition, to increase your chances of victory, I will allow you to study the Scroll of Seals, passed down from the First Hokage, for one day. How much you can learn in that one day will depend on your own abilities."
"The Scroll of Seals?" the three said, stunned. "Can we really study it?"
"Yes." The Third Hokage nodded, his voice full of expectation. "This was a difficult decision for me to make. I believe you are all flames that will light up Konoha, allowing the village's will of fire to burn on endlessly."
"I will!"